Kuratorium Oświaty w Szczecinie

The pedagogical supervision regulation which became operative since November 9^th 2009 determines forms of the pedagogical supervision, list of posts which require pedagogical qualifications, qualifications essential to exercise the pedagogical supervision and qualifications of persons to whom it is possible to commission carrying out research and compile expert opinions.

The aim of the regulation is increase of the pedagogic surveillance system with special taking into account making analysis and evaluation of the quality of educational activity of schools and institutions.

The pedagogical supervision is supposed to serve improving the educational system and in accordance with the Education System Act it consists in:

1. judging the state and conditions of teaching, educational and protective activity of schools, institutions and teachers;

2. analysing and judging effects of teaching, education and protective activity as well as other statutory activity of schools and institutions;

3. giving help for schools, institutions and teachers in performing their teaching, education and protective tasks;

4. inspiring teachers to pedagogic, methodological and organizational innovations.

The pedagogical supervision is exercised in the scheduled way, but it can be carried out also temporarily and it has to take into account the principle of openness of requirements and the principle of accumulating the information about the school or institution from various sources, taking into consideration the information gathered in the course of the supervision held by a headmaster or director of institution.

Basic aims of the way of exercising the pedagogic supervision, which are described in the regulation are:

1. enabling school teams ( headmasters with teachers) effective work above improving the quality of work of schools and institutions by delivering to the information about this quality;

2. delivering information and tools for checking the level of fulfilling by schools and the institution the requirements set out in the regulation;

3. enabling to make analyses concerning the quality of work of schools and institutions.

The fundamental assumption of new solutions concerning the pedagogical supervision is division into three supervisory tasks of authorities exercising this supervision, including education superintendents (kuratorzy oświaty), i.e.

1. evaluation of the educational activity of schools and institutions;

2. inspection of obeying the law concerning teaching, education and protective activity of schools, institutions and teachers;

3. supporting the work of schools and institutions as well as teachers in their teaching, educational and protective activity and other statutory activity.

Evaluation of the educational activity of schools and institutions

The evaluation of educational activity of schools and institutions is a practical judging research which is supposed to lead to determining the degree of fulfilling by the school or the institution the requirements put by the state on the basis of assessment of the course of process, as well as effects of taking teaching,educational and protective actions, conditions of school or institution and qualities of managing and for her functioning in the environment.

An evaluation conducted by the authority exercising pedagogical supervision is an external evaluation. An evaluation conducted by a headmaster or director of institution is an internal evaluation.

The external evaluation includes:

1. collecting and analysing the information about the educational activity of school or institution

2. determining the level of fulfilling by school or institution the requirements established in the regulation by the minister competent for education and the upbringing.

These requirements were presented in four areas of activity of schools and institutions:

1. effects of teaching, educational and protective activity and other statutory activity of schools or institutions;

2. processes occurring at school or institution;

3. functioning of the school or institutions in the local community, in particular in scope of the cooperation with parents of pupils;

4. management of the school or institution.

Inspection of obeying the law

The authority exercising pedagogical supervision also is supposed to control obeying the law by schools and institutions in teaching, education and protective activity and other statutory activity of schools and institutions.

The aim of the monitoring activity is to assess the state and conditions of teaching, education and protective activity as well as other statutory activity in schools and institutions in terms of legality.

Control topics that result from pedagogical supervision plan of the education superintendent must be in accordance with directions of implementation of educational state policy and in accordance with guidelines and instructions referred to the Education System Act established by the minister competent for educations and upbringing matters.

In case of need for other scope of control, the education superintendent can lead summary inspections.

Supporting the work of schools and institutions

The task of the authority exercising pedagogical supervision (education superintendent) is also supporting the work of schools and institutions, by:

1.preparing and publishing (using a website) analyses of the results of reporting pedagogical supervision, including the external evaluation and of inspection of obeying the law;

2. popularizing examples of good practice,

3. organising conferences and meetings for headmasters or directors of institution

The task of the supervising authorities in the field of educational support the work of schools and institutions is also promoting the use of the evaluation in the process of improving work of schools and institutions.

Qualifications essential to exercise the pedagogical supervision

From the people who will perform the evaluations, in addition to the qualifications required for employment in the position of inspector, will be required to complete additional training in the field of evaluation, which was organized at the request of the minister competent for educations and upbringing matters.